Imgulb

The creature sat squat in the deep sea mud, sharp ocean-floor metallic nodules digging into its webbed feet. bulbous eyes stared, absorbing the scant whiffs of light coming from bioluminescent bacteria and marine life; the sun's light had never reached this depths, and would never until the seas boiled over. Its mouth and jaws would flex, sucking in the dense ocean water between inch-long, needle-point teeth, then billow its throat and force it through gills. It waited.

Long fingers with interior pads covered in toothed suckers to grip and tear, reflexively clasped and unclasped, creating small jets of water that disturbed the marine snow it sat in, causing a light fog of the foul detritus to swirl around it.

Movement; two more such creatures swam out from behind an alcove formed by great, ancient carved stones. They quietly warbled to each other in harsh, guttural noises that carried through the water, but were indistinct. One bowed, and and then departed. The remaining creature, evidently older than the other two with skin more pallid and wrinkled, beckoned for the squatting creature, and called out in a louder voice.

"Imgulb, you're early. Please, join me in the Attenuare," then turned and swam back between the stones, not waiting for the other creature to follow. The squatting creature described as Imgulb nervously pulsed water through its gills, then kicked off and followed the older creature in.

"Sit," the older creature commanded, and donned a monocle harvested from an ancient mariner's telescope to consult whale bone tablets, covered in sharp, alien runes. Imgulb perched atop a small pile of the metallic nodules, their sharp points muted by its thick, mucus covered skin. Imgulb tried to speak, stuttered, and began again in its phlegmy voice.

"Greetings to you, Mulkort," Imgulb said, "I hope this wake-cycle finds you well?"

The other, Mulkort, did not respond.

"I was hoping," Imgulb continued, "that perhaps you had considered my plea and help me in this matter? I do not wish to lose what I have-" it choked again, then continued. "That is, I am hopeful we can reach an agreement."

At this, Mulkort finally looked up from its whalebone tablets and squinted its gaping, reflective eyes at Imgulb.

"I'm afraid," it said, "that Hilgresh wishes to continue with the separation, and is requesting full custody of the spawn, and requests monthly tithes of your ravage-hunts from the surface dwellers."

Imgulb slipped on the nodule pile. "But I cannot!" It warbled. "Did they not read my request for stay? I cannot impart such tithes, and to not even share custody of our spawn would wound me deeply."

"Without visitation." Mulkort said.

"What?"

"Without visitation," Mulkort repeated. "I'm sorry, I forgot to mention that. Hilgresh believes you are a bad influence, and could harm their growth and development."

Imgulb wailed.

"Now, now, Imgulb," Mulkort said, slightly bored, "that is hardly an appropriate reaction. You have not lost everything; in fact, consider all that you have!" It set down the tablets. "You are a valued member of your ravager party, and I recall seeing you last Sabbath performing your duties as a pallbearer excellently."

Whether Mulkort remembered the event excellently or remembered Imgulb performing well was unclear.